La Estrategia Española de Desarrollo Sostenible y las políticas de gestión de recursos hidráulicos en el litoral Mediterráneo español

Abstract

The Spanish Strategy for Sustainable Development makes up one of the most relevant contributions by the Spanish administration to the fulfilment of international agreements in what regards environmental concerns in future development planning. Likewise, the National Hydraulic Plan is not only the most important planning document set out in the last years, but one among the few which have reached a high legal status, after being approved by the National Spanish Parliament (Law 10/2001 of July 5). Both documents, relatively close in time, display, however, notable contradictions in what regards territorial development and the sustainability of envisaged development policies. This article attempts to highlight these contradictions in what concerns water resources transfers as envisaged in the National Hydraulic Plan. The article is structured in three main parts: The first one sets out a broader theoretical approach for Sustainable Development and analyses some issues which may influence medium term sustainability assessment of proposed development. The second part reviews the contents of the Consultation Document on the Spanish Strategy for Sustainable Development distributed at the end of last year by the Spanish Ministry for the Environment. The analysis of the Document homes in on the compatibility of its proposals with a balanced development of the national territory. The analysis goes on to review the Report prepared by the National Social and Economic Council as a response to the Consultation Document. The third part of the article draws specifically on water-related issues and the compatibility of the transfer of hydraulic resources envisaged in the National Hydraulic Plan with provisions in the Consultation Document. The article concludes by arguing the water resources transfer between the river Ebro and the Spanish Eastern region is barely compatible with the ministerial Document recommended strategies and may be encroaching upon constitutional responsibilities bestowed upon other regional bodies.